[Fantasy] My World (Complete) - Chapter 13

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Chapter Five: The Scheme
in the Northwest The carriage was very spacious, with several soft mink cushions and a small table fixed to the carriage, so there was no need to worry about bumps.
Behind the small table sat three stunningly beautiful young women, their eyes brimming with tears as they gazed at me. One of them, Yuwei, was a typical pair of twin beauties, like the Jinggong sisters. However, compared to the Jinggong sisters' innocent purity, these two beauties possessed a more mature, charming allure.
The girl beside them was younger than the twin beauties, but with the same starry eyes and delicate nose, her beauty and elegance were enhanced by a peerless grace and nobility… Such words are usually only used to describe young women or women in their thirties, but they appeared on this virgin girl, truly adding to her beauty.
Without making any other move, I held the three beautiful women tightly and whispered in their ears, "Did you come all this way to find your husbands like Ting'er?"
"Why has my little brother gotten so thin after going out?"
Su Yan and Su Yue stroked my cheeks at the same time, saying with heartache.
"We're busy every day, so naturally we can't relax."
I chuckled and patted their cheeks, then looked at Yunfu, who hadn't spoken. "My dear wives, you didn't come here for no reason, did you? Speak quickly if you have something to say, your man can handle it." " You're such
a smooth talker..."
Yunfu gently tapped my forehead, her eyes filled with deep affection. "If you had half the ability to sweet-talk, I'd be relieved."
"Nonsense! How dare you slander your husband!"
I angrily placed her on my lap, kneading the beautiful princess's buttocks with both hands. "Haven't you tasted my power in a long time, so you dare to be so presumptuous?"
"Hehe..."
Yunfu and I often did these intimate things, and the princess naturally wouldn't be angry. On the contrary, she enjoyed my caresses and "torture." One reason she liked me was that I never saw her as an imperial princess, but truly as an ordinary girl. This relaxed and natural feeling made the princess very comfortable.
"Alright, alright..."
Yunfu was enjoying her lover's "invasion," but Suyan and Suyue next to her didn't have such patience. Their nervousness and worry were written all over their faces. “Princess, you should tell your brother about the Emperor’s decree as soon as possible.”
Yunfu smiled slightly, her small hand reaching behind her to grab my mischievous hands, intertwining her fingers with mine. “Liu Ri, today, Uncle Prince Zhennan and Uncle Prince Tang submitted another memorial to you. Things might be a bit troublesome!”
“These two old guys have been going against me for a long time.”
I said dismissively. “Tell me, what do they want from me this time? Let me make this clear: if they want me to be loyal to the country and commit suicide, I absolutely refuse. If that’s the case, you should quickly come with your husband and find a secluded place to live in anonymity.”
“Hmph, you’re really not a hero…”
Yunfu bit my cheek, amused. “You always want to run away when things get tough…”
“It’s fine if you don’t run away. My wife is still an imperial princess. It would be too embarrassing to run away.”
I nodded repeatedly. “Or… I could go to the capital tonight and kill these two old guys?”
“No!…”
Not only Yunfu, but even Su Yan and Su Xiaoxiangting shook their heads.
I understand what they mean. The Prince of Zhennan and the Prince of Tang wield immense power, not just because of their own strength, but also because they have countless ambitious followers who follow them to achieve their own ambitions. If the two princes die, and these desperate followers rise up in rebellion, it will plunge Liufeng Kingdom into chaos.
The Yuan Dynasty and Huayunyu Kingdom are not simple forces; they might then take advantage of the chaos to fish in troubled waters… It's best to just imagine such a scenario and not let it actually happen.
Therefore, dealing with such ambitious individuals isn't simply a matter of killing their leaders. The intricate web of relationships beneath them, the thousands upon thousands of officials, merchants, and skilled individuals—those are the ones who truly need to be eliminated. Of course, this requires careful planning.
"Liu Ri, urgent military intelligence arrived from the Northwest this morning. Seven days ago, General Chen Fuyue of the State of Wei suffered a crushing defeat and heavy losses. A coalition army of 400,000 from the Dangxiang tribe and others is pressing in, and the three counties in the Northwest are unstable. Chen Fuyue has requested an additional 100,000 reinforcements to resist the enemy's invasion."
Hearing Yun Fu's words, Xiang Ting, who had been waiting to pick me up that morning, was stunned: "Wasn't it said that the battle was at a stalemate? The Crown Prince of Chu has always had outstanding military achievements, and the 'Silver Tiger Legion' is incomparably elite. How could they have suffered such a crushing defeat?"
"The specific reasons haven't been reported back yet,"
Su Yan shook her head and said, "But my father said that Chen Fuyue has encountered a big problem this time. The military intelligence received by the Ministry of War this morning has already been embellished before it reached the court. Only the Emperor and a few others know the true results. In reality, the 200,000 'Silver Tiger Legion' is now reduced to less than 50,000."
"Ah! My God..."
Xiang Ting couldn't help but exclaim in shock. There were very few things that could frighten this usually intelligent and quick-witted daughter of the Minister of Personnel, but now she was truly afraid. She wasn't afraid of the barbarians invading and reaching the capital; her keen intellect meant she feared being implicated in the matter.
I understood the military structure of Liufeng Kingdom well. The four major legions—Golden Dragon, Silver Tiger, Bronze Leopard, and Iron Wolf—were the four standing iron armies. The most elite, the Golden Dragon Legion, was stationed at the border of Liufeng, Dayuan, and Huayun Kingdoms—a place akin to hell on earth, a place of constant warfare. Thus, the Golden Dragon Legion rightfully deserved its position as the empire's premier legion.
But the Silver Tiger Legion was no less formidable. They faced the barbarian tribes of the northwestern grasslands, a region with numerous, fierce, and cruel tribes. Coupled with extreme poverty, even the Emperor of Huayun Kingdom barely intervened. These tribes flocked to the northwest each year to plunder wealth and people. The Silver Tiger Legion had played a crucial role in resisting their attacks and protecting the three northwestern prefectures.
Furthermore, in recent years, Prince Chen Fuyue of Chu had demonstrated both offensive and defensive prowess, allowing the Silver Tiger Legion to gradually begin its counterattacks.
One of the most famous instances was a month ago when Prince Chen Fuyue of Chu led the "Silver Tiger Legion" to a crushing victory over the allied forces of the three tribes of Mobei, killing 60,000 and capturing 80,000. The army pursued the enemy deep into the heart of Mobei, terrifying them and greatly enhancing the prestige of the Chu Kingdom among the Han peoples.
Emperor Kangzong read this battle report hundreds of times without ever getting tired of it, not to mention how he announced it to the world. But who could have imagined that just a month later, the once-mighty General of Wei would be so utterly defeated, with only 50,000 of his 200,000-strong elite army reduced to a mere 50,000?
Just thinking about it makes those barbarians seem terrifying. Who says they only know brute force? If they only knew how to kill and charge forward relentlessly, who knows how Chen Fuyue would have rounded them up and sent them back, leaving a group of barbarian women weeping in despair.
The outcome was completely the opposite, proving that Chen Fuyue had been outmaneuvered, resulting in the loss of seventy to eighty percent of his forces in one fell swoop.
Poor Chen Fuyue!
As a scholar-general praised by the court and the successor handpicked by the military genius Prince Zhennan, such a crushing defeat could very well ruin his life.
Ever since Yunfu told me that Chen Fuyue also disapproved of the marriage alliance with Yunfu and already had a beloved woman, my fondness for this cheap cousin-in-law has greatly increased, and the initial estrangement has long since disappeared.
Therefore, upon hearing the news of his crushing defeat, my first reaction was sympathy. As for worry, I wouldn't say so, after all, his father is the Prince of Chu, the emperor's brother and ally. Emperor Kangzong would surely give him face and protect one of his most valiant generals.
However, as I pondered, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind. Startled, I looked up and saw that all four of my wives had worried expressions on their faces. I immediately understood what was going on and laughed, "My dears, what's with that look? Even if someone wants me to go and die, I, Liu Ri, am not so easily tricked!"
"You... guessed it?"
"Nonsense, look at your faces, and Yunfu and my two sisters rushed over with this news. Do you think I don't understand?"
I said slowly, "Is it because the two highly respected princes want me to go to the Northwest?"
When I said the words "highly respected," my face was clearly filled with murderous intent, making no attempt to hide my anger towards the Prince of Zhennan and the Prince of Tang. Damn it, you really think highly of me, Liu Ri, trying to kill me by using an external enemy!
At this moment, I didn't remember that the mother of the Prince of Zhennan and the Prince of Tang was the grandmother of the beautiful princess in my arms. So what if I cursed them?
"They want you to go to the Northwest, sigh..."
Yunfu hesitated, very worried.
“Little brother…”
Su Yue exclaimed in surprise, “Why don’t you seem worried at all? Everyone was so worried about you.”
“Haha, what’s there to worry about?”
I twisted my devilish sister’s little face. “Go ahead, but I’m not that stupid. If things go wrong, I’ll definitely run away. Who can outrun me? So don’t worry, I’ll be safe.”
Xiang Ting’s eyes lit up. “Yes, yes, that’s it!”
The little girl openly disregarded the imperial military law and forgot that she used to despise generals who deserted in the face of battle and admired those men of iron will… Thinking about it, I have to say that there is a big difference between ideals and reality. Standards differ when facing the one you love. Many laws and regulations are not as important as the safety of the one you love.
Xiang Ting has seen my martial arts skills, and she also knows from the correspondence that I am so powerful in Yizhou County, defeating the martial arts forces of the Prince of Zhennan and the Prince of Tang. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have repeatedly submitted memorials to Emperor Kangzong to recall me.
With my superior martial arts skills, I'm safe wherever I am. But as Xiangting awaited her sisters' agreement, she saw not their happy smiles, but rather their worried, bitter ones.
Just as Xiangting's heart sank, Yunfu spoke up: "No, Liu Ri can't escape..."
"Uh!"
I was slightly startled. "Wife, you wouldn't do this to me, would you? I don't know how to fight. What if the boss orders me to my death? Am I supposed to go? That would be too easy for me to settle personal scores."
"Don't worry about that, it's impossible."
Suyan shook her head, but her next words made my heart leap again: "Because you are the boss."
"The boss?"
I was shocked. "I'm the boss? Don't joke around, where's Chen Fuyue?"
"General Weiguo suffered a major defeat, and the 'Silver Tiger Legion' suffered heavy losses. The court has decided that he must immediately return to the capital for trial and be held accountable."
"..."
Xiangting and I exchanged speechless glances.
Damn it, is this how you frame someone?
“Although Chen Fuyue suffered a crushing defeat, his previous achievements were quite remarkable. Shouldn’t he be given a chance to turn the tide? Besides, the ‘Silver Tiger Legion’ only obeys Chen Fuyue’s command. Could anyone else have commanded the newly defeated ‘Silver Tiger Legion’ well?”
Xiang Ting angrily questioned.
Su Yan spread her small hands: “What can be done? The Empire’s Second Legion suffered heavy losses, and 150,000 brave soldiers gloriously sacrificed their lives. As a general, Chen Fuyue cannot escape blame. Three ministers, five vice ministers, and eighteen officials of the fourth rank or above knelt to remonstrate, and two princes fanned the flames. Chen Fuyue’s survival was only due to his royal status. How could the Prince of Chu dare to recommend his son for redemption?”
“But how could it be my turn to be the commander-in-chief? I’m not shirking responsibility, but entrusting such important military and national affairs to someone who has never been on the battlefield before. Has your father gone mad?”
I said rebelliously to the beautiful princess in my arms.
"Ugh..."
Yunfu wasn't angry, but she lightly punched me, her brows furrowed as she said, "Father had no choice. Your reputation in the capital was very good recently, and the ministers are now praising you relentlessly, calling you an unparalleled young hero. Then the generals of the Prince of Zhennan's faction echoed them, saying that Brother Fuyue had never been on the battlefield before, yet he created so many miracles. At the same time, they themselves were determined not to go to the Northwest battlefield... In the end, even the Prince of Chu agreed to let you go, so Father had no choice but to issue an edict ordering you to take on this mission."
"Liu Ri, listen to me carefully. If you want to marry the princess, you'd better win spectacularly in the Northwest, otherwise don't come back."
Yunfu mimicked Kangzong's tone, relaying his words.
Before I could even respond, Xiangting beside me was already expressing her dissatisfaction: "Hmph, it's easy to say. How much suffering did the Crown Prince of Chu endure in the past few years? He faced the encroachment of those tribes from the outside, and the disobedient and disloyal 'Silver Tiger Legion' from within. He suffered over a dozen defeats, and tens of thousands of soldiers died over the years. Only then did he manage to rally the people and gradually achieve victory… Besides, his situation back then was much easier; it was just minor conflict, nothing like the danger we're in now."
"Since they've clearly intended for me to die, let's not bother with their excuses."
I helplessly patted my beautiful wife's head, thinking that in crucial moments, my wife is always the best, understanding and caring for her husband.
Of course, Xiangting wasn't the only one who felt sorry for her husband; Yunfu, Suyan, and Suyue felt the same way.
After Yunfu relayed Emperor Kangzong's instructions, the atmosphere in the carriage became heavy.
"Fine, I won't mention the Prince of Chu anymore."
Xiangting hadn't given up yet, coldly saying, "Princess, my two sisters, why is the Prince of Chu also kicking us when we're down? Didn't the Emperor and Prime Minister Han expect
this at all?" "What's so hard to guess? If I fail in the Northwest, Chen Fuyue's punishment will be much lighter, and he'll naturally be willing to let someone like me, who knows nothing, lead the army."
I clenched my fists. "But... damn it! The three counties of the Northwest and millions of people, should they just be abandoned because of this? Whether I win or lose, it doesn't matter to these court bigwigs? Are those lives just tools for them to fight and attack their political enemies? Are they just a string of numbers?"
I rarely get so angry, but in my moment of fury, the Jinggong sisters, who were waiting beside me, had already used their katana to lift the curtains and nervously looked inside.
Seeing the mix of unease, guilt, and worry on my four wives' faces, and the questioning look in the eyes of the Jinggong sisters, I quickly used my inner strength to suppress the Heavenly Demon Art that was about to erupt. I took a deep breath and said, "Meicai, go play over there, I'm fine."
The two twin beauties were innocent and adorable, and I didn't want them to know the truth too soon and worry them.
A man should naturally shoulder great responsibilities; I can handle difficulties myself.
The Jinggong sisters were very clever. Seeing that I showed no signs of losing control of my power, they didn't ask why. They gave me a sweet smile, reassuring me, and then quietly lowered the curtains.
After this interruption, the atmosphere eased considerably, and at least my wives weren't as frightened as before.
"Brother... don't be angry. It's not worth ruining your health..."
Xiangting gently stroked my back, trying to soothe my emotions.
I smiled and patted her little hand. "I'm fine, I'm just furious that they treat human life so carelessly. They should be sent to the northwest border to see if they'd still be so cold-hearted in the face of the brutal barbarians."
"Hmph! These bastards, all they know how to do is eat, drink, be merry, and scheme against each other,"
Su Yan and Su Yue said viciously. "The entire court, apart from my father and Minister Ni and a few others, has hardly anyone good."
Even though I was in a bad mood, I almost laughed. If we're talking about bad people, my godfather, Prime Minister Han, is definitely in the top three, if not the first. He might not be good at eating, drinking, and being merry, but he's so good at scheming that even several princes can't do anything about him.
Yun Fu obviously understood this too. Taking advantage of the fact that the devilish sisters weren't paying attention, the elegant and generous princess reached out and pinched my waist. At the same time, Xiang Ting's little hand also pinched me. The two of them, one on the left and one on the right, showed that the sisters had a tacit understanding.
My reaction was swift. Before the two women's small hands had even completely left my waist, I slapped their plump buttocks with lightning speed—quite a slap! The two women cried out softly, embarrassed and annoyed by the ambiguous gazes of the Han sisters.
"Alright, now things are finally clear. Should I go to the palace or the Ministry of War?"
I quickly changed the subject.
"You don't need to go anywhere. I've brought the imperial edict for you."
Yun Fu reached out and took out a golden scroll from a small cabinet beside her. The golden dragon embroidered on it was dazzling, symbolizing the supreme power and majesty of the emperor… but the contents inside had absolutely nothing to do with majesty or holiness.
Without even glancing at it, I placed it on the small table: "Xuefu, tell me, what powers do I have this time? What difficulties will I encounter? What support will your father give me? Don't give me empty platitudes, I want the truth."
"Heh, why are you asking so clearly? Don't you want to escape?"
"I do want to escape, but as a commander-in-chief, it's not good to lead the retreat, is it? Besides, I have millions of people behind me. If I escape, wouldn't I be selling them to those brutal barbarians? I, Liu Ri, would never do such a thing in my entire life."
I said righteously, my image instantly shining brightly in the eyes of the four beauties.
Damn it! I'll fight to the death!
This time I'm not just talking; the safety of millions rests on my shoulders. Although I, Liu Ri, am not very brave and not very kind-hearted, I am ultimately a man of conscience. If I give up resistance, I won't be able to enter the Liu family ancestral hall after I die.
Tang King!
Zhennan King!
Just you wait! When I return from the Northwest, I will settle our scores with you all!

Chapter Six: The Whole Story
Having been tricked by the enemy and forced to compromise, Emperor Kangzong was probably too embarrassed to face me, so he simply sent his daughter with an imperial edict to see me. Firstly, to persuade me to take up my post in the Northwest, and secondly, to have his daughter persuade me not to rebel, lest I harm myself and others.
Damn! Marrying a princess is really difficult!
This old, irresponsible emperor is really using me as a laborer. The affairs of the martial arts world haven't been resolved yet, and now he wants me to go to war, the kind where I have a slim chance of survival.
But who am I, Young Master Ri?
The greater the pressure, the stronger my will to fight. Facing all sorts of unfavorable factors, I'm determined to take the plunge. At worst, I'll sacrifice all my troops, and then… uh, I won't do something like dying for my country. I'm just saying that if I'm the only one left, I will definitely escape, and then find an opportunity to go to the grasslands and kill all the grassland tribe nobles involved in the war. That will be doing my utmost.
However, thinking of the millions of residents in the three northwestern prefectures, I still felt it best not to end up assassinating those nobles myself.
Though I said I wasn't afraid, the immense pressure was still very real.
At this moment, I was already sitting in a carriage heading towards the three northwestern prefectures, a scene so similar to my journey to Yizhou Prefecture. But unlike my first trip out of the capital, which was filled with excitement and ambition, this time it was more about a sense of responsibility.
Another difference was the presence of two little princesses from the Yamato tribe nestled beside me, along with the little turtle and bird driving the carriage.
"Brother…is this mission difficult?"
Jing Gongcai asked sweetly. From the moment we left until now, this innocent and adorable little princess had wanted to ask, but her sister's gaze had stopped her; it was already quite an effort for her to wait until now to ask.
"I suppose so. The main difference is that large-scale wars and martial arts battles are different. In martial arts battles, your husbands can control the situation, even the outcome. If they can't win, they can run away, launch a sneak attack, or fight again later… But war is different, especially wars against grassland tribes. They are wolves and tigers; we can't let them in… But in a battle of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, martial arts are useless… Besides, their army has just suffered a defeat, and their morale is low. I, someone with no prestige, going there to command them… And my father-in-law, the emperor, is quite ruthless; he hasn't given me any troops at all. We ourselves are all the reinforcements…"
In front of the two girls who wholeheartedly revered me, I had no reservations. I spoke incessantly, regardless of whether they understood or not, pouring out all my considerations and worries.
After I finished speaking, looking at the two beauties, I saw a look of half-understanding on their pure and charming faces. I couldn't help but smile; clearly, they hadn't understood.
“No, brother… it’ll be much better if you talk about it.”
Just as I was feeling embarrassed, a smile appeared on Miyako’s beautiful face. “Miyako and Ayako don’t understand much, but at least they can listen to brother. It’s not good to keep things bottled up inside.”
“Yes, my brother is very reserved.”
Miyako Ayako chimed in, referring to Miyako Hideyoshi. “He doesn’t tell us anything on a daily basis, but every time he goes to those dancers to vent, he roars… so he’s not naturally tyrannical, but he has unspeakable suffering!”
This made me break out in a cold sweat! These two beauties actually know these things; it seems this isn’t the first time they’ve eavesdropped.
“You’re not allowed to pry into other people’s privacy like this in the future!”
I quickly instructed.
“Hehe, it’s not that we wanted to go.”
Miyako Ayako stuck out her little tongue. “It’s my sister-in-law who wanted to go, and she wanted us to go with her… she was afraid brother would be angry.”
The image of the aloof and proud beautiful young woman, Miyako Yu, flashed through my mind. She really wasn’t someone to be trifled with; even eavesdropping required protection… Shaking my head, I refocused my attention on the trip to the Northwest.
After venting my feelings all at once, I did feel much better, and my mind worked faster, allowing me to think of countermeasures more clearly.
According to Yunfu, Emperor Kangzong didn't provide any real assistance, not even the 100,000 elite troops Chen Fuyue had requested… When I first heard this news, I really had the urge to burn down the palace. Damn it, my father-in-law couldn't be that ruthless, could he?
Yes, there were no elite troops from the "Golden Dragon Legion," the "Bronze Leopard Legion," or even the "Iron Wolf Legion," but this wasn't because Emperor Kangzong was too cruel; it was simply a matter of timing.
First, the "Golden Dragon Legion" absolutely couldn't be mobilized. Otherwise, if the balance of power shifted at the border of the three kingdoms, the swords of Huayun Kingdom and Dayuan Kingdom would be far more ruthless and thorough than those of the barbaric grassland tribes.
Although Emperor Kangzong's Golden Armor Army was unparalleled in its elite strength, it only numbered 30,000. While transferring them all might have some use, no one could guarantee the consequences of removing the capital's absolute power. Therefore, this possibility had already been decided by Empress Ren and her godfather, Prime Minister Han. The
"Bronze Leopard Legion" consisted of the Prince of Zhennan's troops, making mobilization even more out of the question. Even a forced transfer would likely result in countless generals suffering from headaches, diarrhea, or injuries from bumping into walls. Recovery was possible, but only when the sky fell.
The only army that could be mobilized was the "Iron Wolf Legion," which rotated through the country. However, without several months of preparation time, the "Iron Wolf Legion," scattered across the nation, simply couldn't be assembled. And the invaders from the grasslands certainly wouldn't wait for us to be ready before attacking.
Emperor Kangzong wouldn't watch me go to my death, and neither would my godfather, Prime Minister Han. So, when Kangzong looked at Prime Minister Han, the ruthless prime minister proposed a bold idea: the three northwestern prefectures would be placed on high alert,
and I would not only serve as the commander of the "Silver Tiger Legion," but also take over the administrative power of the three prefectures until the enemy was defeated. Frankly, this idea was too far-fetched. Since the founding of Liufeng Kingdom, there had never been a powerful ruler who held both military and political power. On a small scale, this would make him a regional overlord; on a more serious scale, it would give him the power to rebel.
Throughout history, those who had the potential to rebel had only one fate—death without mercy!
What? You want evidence?
Don't be ridiculous. Imperial power is supreme; suspicion can lead to death. There
's no room for reason. Normally, Kangzong would never agree to this proposal, nor would Prime Minister Han. But he knew it was a last resort. Without reinforcements, without control of military and political power, I had no hope. Therefore, Kangzong didn't object at all.
Since even the emperor didn't object, those around him naturally wouldn't either. Even the Prince of Tang and the Prince of Zhennan wholeheartedly agreed, praising Prime Minister Han for being progressive and adaptable—in their eyes, I was already on the verge of being captured by the barbarians and enslaved for life, so what harm was there in letting me be arrogant for a while?
Therefore, the greatest power that Emperor Kangzong granted me, as written in the imperial edict, was: "I hereby appoint Lanting as Imperial Commissioner, with the power to oversee all military affairs within and outside Xingyong, Xishuo, and Longliang prefectures. All officials in these three prefectures shall obey the orders of Lord Lanting. Anyone who disobeys may be executed first and reported later."
The most vehement opponent of this edict was the Prince of Chu, because with Chen Fuyue's prestige in the Northwest, he had almost controlled a third of the Northwest's power. Now that I had interfered, it would be good if even half of his followers would still listen to him.
But Emperor Kangzong was furious that he was only concerned with himself, and with the Prince of Zhennan and the Prince of Tang adding fuel to the fire, and Prime Minister Han's faction desperately supporting him, the Prince of Chu's power alone was too small. He could only retreat to the side with a gloomy face.
"Liu Ri, your first task in going to the Northwest is to repel the enemy's attack. Secondly, you should also take the opportunity to reorganize the three prefectures in the Northwest for me, so that they know that no matter how vast the land is, the Emperor is the greatest." This was relayed to me by Yun Fu, but I responded with a burst of anger: "
Do you really think I'm a god? Not only is there a first, but there's a second. Next, should I help you wipe out the power of several princes?"
However, despite my dissatisfaction, I still had to do what needed to be done.
In addition to the imperial edict I received, Emperor Kangzong also specified that I could use the "Heavenly Dragon Gold Token" to mobilize all royal power and other available forces.
It could be said that the Emperor exceeded my requirements in every way except for not giving me an army... Well, but fighting still relies on an army, doesn't it? No matter how capable Young Master Ri is, he can't face thousands of fierce steppe cavalrymen alone. There's really nothing he can do.
Fortunately, Prime Minister Han still cares about his godson and son-in-law. He had his two daughters deliver a message to me: "Ri'er, the Northwest is indeed a stagnant pool, but even stagnant water may contain life. You must be patient." "Remember this: no matter what, you must not let the army collapse. As long as your godfather is here, you'll be safe."
I know the capabilities of the Poisonous Prime Minister; he always keeps his word. But I'm a grown man with a family and a career; how can I always rely on my elders? So I only took his words as encouragement, not a promise of support.
In comparison, my mother-in-law, Empress Ren, was much more generous. After hearing about it in the palace, she immediately had Yunfu send me a piece—no, half a jade pendant—carved with the head of a jade phoenix.
"You'll understand when you get to the Northwest." "
I never expected my darling Yunfu to be so secretive. No matter how much I spanked her, she wouldn't say a word, and even seemed to enjoy it with a smile.
Actually, I don't need to think too much; I already know this is Empress Ren's help. As for how much help it is, and how effective it will be, we'll have to wait and see.
Help only works when one's own strength reaches a certain level. I've never heard of anyone with no ability becoming the leader of the martial arts world with the support of countless martial arts masters... If there is such a case, it only exists in some people's wild fantasies.
Therefore, what I'm thinking about right now isn't who will help me, but how to turn the current situation around, at least to gain a breathing space.
Holding the military intelligence written by Chen Fuyue herself, my mind is drawn into that endless, dark battle.
Specifically, Chen Fuyue has painstakingly set up a series of deadly traps, wanting to eliminate..." The most powerful tribe in southern Mongolia, the Dangxiang, never expected that on the last night before he formed an encirclement, countless enemies would suddenly attack from the flanks of his army. The Dangxiang also seized the opportunity to counterattack, and coupled with the violent storm that night, the Silver Tiger Legion suffered a devastating blow from both sides.
If it weren't for Chen Fuyue leading 50,000 Silver Tiger Legion soldiers to fight to the death to cover the rear, none of the 50,000 Silver Tiger Legion soldiers would have survived—even Chen Fuyue himself, who was originally going to fight to the death with his rearguard, was finally brought out by his subordinates after they knocked him unconscious with a club while he was exhausted. These hundred-odd guards were the last remaining members of the 50,000 Silver Tiger Legion soldiers who had covered the rear.
After recovering from this blow, Chen Fuyue did not complain or blame his subordinates for bringing him out; instead, he immediately went to the west... In Shuojun's defense deployment, not only were all 50,000 soldiers of the "Silver Tiger Legion" mobilized, but even local miscellaneous garrisons were deployed to the defensive lines.
Thanks to his timely response, the enemy, having just finished their preparations, launched a fierce attack—not that they didn't want to arrive sooner, but the fierce resistance of the 150,000-strong "Silver Tiger Legion" had inflicted considerable casualties on the allied forces. To prevent the mentally strained soldiers from collapsing, necessary rest was absolutely essential.
Nomadic tribes were invincible on the grasslands and open battlefields, but they were not particularly adept at siege warfare, especially these savage grassland tribes far from the core of Huayun Kingdom. When they attacked, facing the Liufeng Kingdom's soldiers who were focused on defense, they lacked a way to break through the enemy's defenses.
The stalemate was largely due to Chen Fuyue's meticulous preparations in the three northwestern prefectures, which had resulted in very effective defenses. Otherwise, with their newly defeated and ragtag army, they wouldn't have been able to withstand an army of 400,000 from various ethnic groups.
Chen Fuyue didn't immediately report the defeat to the court. As the commander-in-chief, he knew when stability was needed and when chaos was unacceptable… He chose to report to the court three days prior, after the allied forces' frenzied offensive had been repelled, using both express messengers and carrier pigeons.
However, even after repelling the initial waves of attacks, Chen Fuyue's report remained resolute. He had strongly requested 100,000 troops; otherwise, the report would read, "If Xishuo County is lost, the three northwestern counties will be lost, and millions of my people in Liufeng will be trampled under the iron hooves of the barbarians. I earnestly hope Your Majesty will act decisively and save the people of the northwest from this peril. I, Fuyue, would be eternally grateful, even unto death." The fact that Chen Fuyue wrote such a resolute report shows that although the Xishuo County defenses hadn't yet fallen, a breach was imminent.
It's tough!
Even a seasoned general has set aside his pride, shouting for reinforcements, "We can't hold on any longer!"... But the court officials disregard the future dangers, not only recalling Chen Fuyue but also sending me, a battlefield novice.
Just as I was racking my brains, two soft, fragrant hands touched my forehead, instantly invigorating me. Opening my eyes, I saw two beautiful Heqi girls looking at me tenderly, their eyes filled with love and trust, devoid of worry or fear.
The girls were still immature; they only knew they had to face the danger with me, never considering the magnitude of it. In their eyes, being by my side meant they'd brave even hell.
"To hell with it! Bring it on! I'm not afraid!"
I suddenly flung open the curtain beside me and roared into the dark night.
It was both a release and a way to encourage myself.
Hearing my shout, not only my two beautiful twin wives beside me but also the little turtle and bird driving the carriage outside laughed out loud.
"Snap!"
With a crisp crack of the whip, the two steeds took off, galloping northwest...

Chapter Seven: The Northwest Royal Family
. The three northwestern prefectures—Xingyong, Xishuo, and Longliang—form a triangular distribution. Xishuo is the most prominent, flanked by towering mountains to its left, followed by Xingyong, and to its right by a complex landscape of hills and swamps, and finally Longliang.
Aside from these terrain obstacles, the three prefectures, situated on the northwestern plateau, are extremely flat, offering virtually no strategic locations for defense. Therefore, Xishuo, at the forefront, has historically been a key point of defense for the Liufeng Kingdom against the invasions of the nomadic tribes of the grasslands.
While the flanks of Xishuo are relatively safe, the surrounding area remains flat. Thus, the Liufeng Kingdom invested heavily in constructing the massive Xiliang City near the grasslands, serving as its greatest defense against enemy invasions.
Xiliang City wasn't isolated; it was 200 kilometers away from the grassland barbarians, containing dozens of fortresses of varying sizes. Chen Fuyue had also constructed countless geographical obstacles. Without the military's topographical map, it would be difficult to smoothly overcome these obstacles and reach Xiliang City.
Xiliang City itself was a formidable fortress, with astonishingly thick walls reaching 30 meters high and 10 meters thick, coupled with well-equipped defenses, making it one of the most difficult passes to conquer.
Although Chen Fuyue, who was away on campaign, returned to Xiliang City ahead of time thanks to his familiarity with the terrain, the grassland allied forces were not far behind. Just one day later, they had broken through all the obstacles along the way and arrived at the city's walls.
In the past, the grassland allied forces had suffered many losses at the gates of Xiliang City, but this time was different. Surprisingly, they not only possessed sturdy siege ladders but also hundreds of enormous catapults. Huge stones rained down on the city walls as if they were free
. Had Chen Fuyue not continuously strengthened Xiliang City's defenses over the past few years, tens of thousands of millstone-sized boulders would have been enough to shatter everyone's morale. Once the grassland allied forces gained control of the catapults, losses were inevitable. On the first day of battle, all the towering arrow towers, catapults, and giant crossbows on the Xiliang City walls, as long as they were within sight, were destroyed by the overwhelming barrage of boulders.
This made defending the city extremely difficult. The massive, seemingly endless numbers of ferocious barbarians, without the suppression of heavy weapons, could only rely on their bare flesh to hold off the enemy. In just half a day, ten thousand "Silver Tiger Legion" warriors and thirty thousand miscellaneous troops perished.
This was largely thanks to Chen Fuyue's large stockpile of crossbows. These weapons, with their high rate of fire and low effort requirements, had a major drawback: accuracy. However, in such a large-scale siege, the defenders didn't need to aim; they could simply fire in one spot, guaranteeing no misses.
It was the crossbows that saved the crumbling defenses. The frenzied barbarians, amidst a storm of arrows, finally lost their offensive momentum and sounded the retreat at dusk, leaving behind 50,000 corpses before retreating to their camp three kilometers away.
The next day…the third day…
when Chen Fuyue sent his battle report, he had only 30,000 "Silver Tiger Legion" soldiers and 100,000 miscellaneous troops left, while the enemy still had 230,000 men—a stark disparity.
The above is a portion of the battle situation from Chen Fuyue's report. Although the casualties were heavy and the fighting was arduous, the enemy had also suffered more than half their losses and their morale was severely damaged. They certainly couldn't maintain their initial momentum, so Xiliang City was undoubtedly safe.
Being safe and soundly repelling the enemy are two different things. Although the area around Xiliang City isn't particularly wealthy, if the barbarians were to plunder and pillage within a hundred miles, they would certainly become quite well-fed. If they were to simply stop and besiege Xiliang City without attacking, it would be a serious problem.
After all, besides the garrison, Xiliang City also houses a million civilians. Their basic needs like food, drink, and sanitation are incredibly demanding. The city's reserves would be depleted in two or three months, and by then, the people inside would have starved to death even without an attack.
Alternatively, the steppe allied forces could surround Xiliang City and eliminate any reinforcements that arrive. Their cavalry is invincible on the plains, so they wouldn't need to worry about the number of reinforcements… If this continued for several months, the military strength of the three northwestern prefectures would likely be completely depleted, leaving them as lambs to the slaughter.
As I was pondering, Little Bird called out loudly from the front, "Young Master, just twenty kilometers from here is Guizhou City, the first county town of Longliang Prefecture."
"These past few days have been spent traveling on back roads, with poor eating and sleeping habits. When we get to Guizhou City, I'll definitely order ten bowls of braised pork and twenty plates of steamed pork belly—a real feast!"
Little Turtle said weakly from the side. They'd been exhausted these past few days. My two concubines and I had been resting in the carriage, practicing our internal energy, while the two of them had been constantly traveling, their mental and physical strength greatly depleted.
I had offered to relieve them and let them rest in the carriage, but they quickly shook their heads, saying they could manage and didn't need me to drive… I understood; they felt that with Sister Jinggong around, how could they possibly rest? What kind of talk was that?
Little Turtle and Little Bird weren't usually particular, but when it came to matters of etiquette, they were absolutely meticulous, which was one of the reasons why everyone in the household considered them loyal and reliable.
"Giggle..."
Jing Gong Cai, now quite familiar with them, giggled and chimed in, "After a good meal and a hot bath, then cuddling with two little girls for a nap—that's heavenly life, isn't it?"
"Haha, Young Madam really understands us!"
Little Bird said, "A bath is a must, but the little girls are out of the question. Good men like us must maintain our chastity outside; we can't go out and fool around."
"Seeing how well-behaved you are, how about I give you a few Japanese concubines when we get back this time? They're gentle and virtuous, and very good at serving people!"
Jing Gong Cai said with a smile.
Although they were princesses in distress, Jing Gong Xiuji never mistreated them. This marriage was no exception; there were over a hundred maids accompanying them, though they were currently elsewhere, heading towards Wushuang County. It would be easy for Little Cai to send a few Japanese beauties to Little Turtle and Little Bird.
Hearing this, I felt a stirring in my heart. This little girl is no simpleton; it's not as simple as just sending gifts. It's clear they see Little Turtle and Little Bird as my trusted lieutenants and want to use a few concubines to draw them closer to the Jing Palace sisters.
Understanding the intricacies, I wasn't angry. These two young ladies have no relatives here and are from a different tribe. While they're devoted to me and won't overthink things, they still feel a sense of estrangement from my Liu family. Having more people friendly to them would naturally make them feel more secure and less anxious.
"Hehe, since it's a gift from the young mistress, we'll accept it without hesitation."
Without hesitation, Xiao Gui agreed. Their thinking was simple: this was a gift from the young mistress, so why wouldn't they accept it? Besides, the girls of the He clan were always considered among the finest women—gentle, virtuous, and as respectful and obedient to men as emperors—exactly what countless men dreamed of!
Jing Gongmei and Jing Gongcai were satisfied with their answer, but they still immediately looked at me, their large eyes filled with worry and timidity. They naturally felt that making decisions on their own seemed to be a slight disrespect to my authority.
"Silly girls!"
I gently pinched their noses. "Do whatever you like. If anyone in the family bullies you in the future, you mustn't keep it to yourself. Your brother will stand up for you and never let my little Mei'er and Xiao Cai'er suffer, understand?"
"Mmm..."
Their thoughts exposed, the two girls smiled shyly, softly leaning on my shoulders, silently feeling my heartbeat and warmth.
"We'll be entering a bloody battlefield in three days at most. Aren't you scared?"
For some reason, looking at the two fifteen-year-old girls in front of me, I felt a little worried. "That's not just a fight between one or two people; it's a massacre of thousands. It's too bloody. Why don't you stay behind?"
"With brother, we're not afraid of anywhere."
Jing Gongmei's voice was soft. "If you don't want us to come with you, we'll be heartbroken."
"What's so great about killing? We don't need brother's protection; we can be his assistants."
Jing Gongcai's personality was much fiery. "Quite a few people have died at our hands. When have you ever seen us afraid?"
"Silly girl!"
I smiled. "Martial arts battles are different from the battlefield... Fine, you can go if you want, but you have to promise me one thing: you can never leave my side, okay?"
"Hehe, you can't get rid of us even if you try."
Jing Gongcai pouted. "We'll never be separated from brother."
"Including when brother sleeps with other wives?"
Looking at the girl's cuteness, I couldn't help but tease her.
"Hehe! As long as you don't mind, I dare to come in..."
Jing Gongcai was referring to herself, and she probably knew that Jing Gongmei wouldn't have the guts to peek.
"Alright..."
Jing Gongmei couldn't stand it anymore, and she slapped her sister's plump, upturned buttocks. "You're getting more and more outrageous. Don't disturb your brother's rest. After these few days, I'm afraid I won't have time to rest."
"Including making love with little Cai'er, okay?"
Jing Gongcai said, biting her pink lips.
"Hahaha!"
I laughed, and before Jing Gongmei could punish her sister again, I hugged the cute little girl in my arms. "Whenever I have time, brother will pamper my little Cai'er, but you'd better improve your fighting power! Don't give up halfway through." "
What..."
Jing Gongcai muttered, "Next time, let's see. After our efforts, my sister and I will definitely defeat you in our six caves!"
Although she said that, the little princess of the Yamato tribe lacked confidence. Every time, she had cried out and fainted during her orgasm. Even with her beautiful anus and cherry lips joining in, plus her pink honey hole, and her sister's three holes helping out, the two little beauties were always brought to the peak of pleasure by my fierce fucking.
Jing Gongmei glared at her sister, then pointed outside, her face flushed, looking especially beautiful.
"It's okay, I closed the carriage when we were talking, they can't hear us, only we can hear them."
I smiled, relieving the girl's shyness.
"Speaking of which... Sister Xiaoyan and Sister Xiaoli taught us some moves, saying that the combination of us twin sisters is the best to satisfy brother... Tonight, Mei and Cai will use them, okay?"
Jing Gongmei whispered shyly, her shy and charming demeanor making my Tyrannosaurus Rex immediately rise, filled with anticipation for tonight.
"Young master... there's someone blocking the way ahead!" Just
as the tender moments in the carriage were happening, the little turtle outside brought bad news.
I regained my composure, peeked out, and lifted the curtain. A ray of the setting sun shone in, and I saw a simple checkpoint about a hundred meters away. A group of men in tight-fitting clothes stood around it, each carrying a thick-backed broadsword, exuding a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world).
This was a secluded section of road, with few vehicles or pedestrians. Anyone passing by was checked, though I didn't know what they were investigating.
“Sigh, it seems that once you leave the capital, every gang is bigger than the government offices.”
I shook my head. “If they want some benefits, just give them to them, but don’t reveal your identity.”
“Young Master, why is that?”
Little Turtle and Little Bird had slowed down the car. They never asked questions they didn’t understand, and they never took things to heart. “You are the King of the Northwest! You can easily deal with these roughnecks. Why give them benefits?”
Little Turtle and Little Bird’s standards were getting higher and higher. Although they were the Rain Hall Masters of the Sun Moon Sect, they never considered themselves as江湖人 (jianghu people, people of the martial arts world). The Sun Moon Sect was just a tool to facilitate my actions. Deep down, they still considered themselves as government officials.
As my close confidants, Yun Fu had already given Little Turtle and Little Bird a waist token each, with the position of Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards. Although this position was only nominal, and there were several Imperial Guards, it was still a fifth-rank official position. It was quite prestigious outside, as the emperor’s personal guards were always higher than ordinary officials.
"We need to keep a low profile. We're new here, so the most important thing is to observe first to avoid being watched and not getting the real information,"
I said with a smile. "You don't want our actions to be constantly monitored, do you?"
"Of course,"
the two replied, indicating they understood.
Looking at the checkpoint, only fifty meters away, I smiled faintly, lowered the curtain, and returned to my seat in the carriage.
These martial arts figures were uniformly dressed and had sharp eyes; they weren't ordinary people... But why did I feel like I'd seen their clothes somewhere before?
The carriage slowly stopped in front of the checkpoint.
This checkpoint was very rudimentary, lacking even basic barricades and chevaux-de-frise, just a few wooden fences. Its deterrent effect outweighed its practicality. The road behind the fences, though narrow, looked fairly clean.
"Please show us your roads. Come on."
A middle-aged man stepped out, not particularly polite, but his voice carried an air of confidence and unyielding authority.
Little Turtle and Little Bird had quite a few roads? Not to mention Uncle, even Father could give them a whole bunch.
As they went out, they asked, "What, are you government officials? What happened?"
"The Northwest is currently under attack from the nomadic tribes of the grasslands, so we have to be careful." The middle-aged man avoided answering the first question, took the five documents, first looked at Little Turtle and Little Bird, and then asked, "Are you from Yizhou Prefecture? Why did you choose to come to the Northwest during this time of war and chaos?"
"Hehe, it's for a living. Our young master also came to close down his business here, so that he wouldn't end up with nothing."
Little Bird answered casually.
The middle-aged man nodded. Little Bird's answer was reasonable. Recently, quite a few people had come to sell their businesses in the Northwest at rock-bottom prices. Not only were they panicking, but even people like himself from the Northwest were uncertain about the future.
He shook his head, pulling his thoughts back. Little Turtle and Little Bird's route? No problem. The middle-aged man could tell they had the air of a large family, so he didn't intend to make things difficult. He simply pulled back the curtain and looked inside the carriage.
Inside, I was reading an ancient book, with two beautiful young women nestled on either side of me, quietly resting with their eyes closed, looking serene and stunningly beautiful.
It was the first time the middle-aged man had seen such beautiful twin girls. His eyes lingered on their faces for a moment before he lowered the curtain.
"Let's go. The Northwest is unstable lately, so be careful on the road,"
the middle-aged man waved his hand.
"Thanks!"
Little Turtle and Little Bird didn't say anything more, took the travel permit, and urged their horse forward.
After driving fifty meters, I put down my book and smiled faintly: "Little Turtle, Little Bird, do you remember where we've seen their clothes before?"
"Huh, it turns out we're not the only ones wondering this,"
Little Turtle and Little Bird exclaimed in surprise. "We also feel they look familiar, but we just can't remember. They're probably the uniforms of some famous martial arts gang."
"Yes, a famous gang, and you two are quite familiar with two of them."
"Very familiar?"
Little Turtle and Little Bird were puzzled. "Huh, could it be a branch of our Sun Moon Cult?"
"Bullshit!"
I laughed and scolded. "Think again!"
"We can't figure it out, young master. Stop playing coy and tell us, who are they?"
Little Turtle and Little Bird gave up, too lazy to think any further.
"The Liu family has two tigers, invincible throughout the county..."
"Ah!"
Little Turtle and Little Bird clapped their hands outside, "Uncle Wang, the Wang family of the Northwest!"
"Yes, I remember now. When Master invited the two Uncle Wangs back, they were wearing these martial arts outfits. Young Master, you led us to secretly watch them. We thought they were so impressive..."
Little Bird continued to add.
Yes, it was because they were the first group of true martial arts family disciples we saw that we remembered them so well.
But so many years have passed, and I still couldn't recall them immediately. I had to silently examine the trajectory of that middle-aged man's internal energy to remember that the way his internal energy flowed was the same as the Wang family disciples that Empress Ren sent to help Yizhou County some time ago. Then I remembered the attire of "The Liu Family's Two Tigers." What was there to not understand?
At this moment, I suddenly felt a jolt in my heart and vaguely understood the meaning of the half jade pendant that Empress Ren had given me...

Chapter Eight: The Desolate City of Guizhou
With the maps of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works as our guide, we quickly emerged from the side road and arrived at Guizhou City at a fast pace.
During our journey, we encountered five more checkpoints set up by the Northwest royal family. Although I had some suspicions, I passed through them discreetly, like an ordinary person, without revealing my identity.
Guizhou City wasn't large, with a population of only a few hundred thousand. According to the Ministry of Works, it was famous for its traditional Northwest leather industry. The city was full of skilled leather workshops, and merchants often came from far and wide to buy their leather goods.
In the sweltering summers of the South, even wealthy families couldn't keep up with the heat simply by having servants fan them. At such times, a half-leather mattress from the Northwest would be incredibly cool, absorbent, and comfortable... Oh, and it wasn't just in the South; even in the East, like in the home of Master Liu Youcai, every bed had a half-leather mattress. The largest one was big enough for eight people to sleep on, and it was said to be made of three pieces of half-leather sewn together, yet it looked exactly like one—a testament to its exquisite craftsmanship.
Lu Jie mentioned this to me during a chat. Every year, hundreds of thousands of semi-leather mattresses are sold from the Northwest to various parts of Liufeng Kingdom and even the Great Yuan Kingdom, contributing significantly to the prosperity of the local leatherworkers.
Of course, it's not just semi-leather. Although the fertility of water semi-leather and yellow semi-leather has greatly increased, with each household having a dozen or twenty head, it's impossible to slaughter a million head every year for food and fur—that would be too extravagant.
The Northwest is vast and sunny, with more free-range semi-leather, so producing hundreds of thousands of semi-leather products annually is no problem here, unlike in the inland areas.
The leather industry can utilize many other furs, such as rabbit, sheep, and pig. The Northwest is very resourceful in this regard, producing a wide variety of products that are very popular.
For example, the sheepskin coats made by "Tianlefang" are a masterpiece. These coats come in three sizes—small, medium, and large—and when worn, except for the face, one truly looks like a sheep.
Hehe, you think no one would go crazy dressing up as a little sheep?
You're wrong!
My father bought dozens of sets for his concubines and maids, of course, in his room. He often said that beauties dressed as animals were particularly charming… Yes, besides sheep costumes, there were bunny costumes and pony costumes…
Each set cost at least a hundred gold coins; Lord Liu Youcai was truly generous when it came to pleasure. Those as generous as him were naturally wealthy people, and their special needs fueled the prosperity of this industry. "Tianlefang" also rose to become the leader of the Northwest leather industry, its wealth truly rolling in!
Curious about these workshops, after being questioned by the Wang family at the city gate once again, I entered Guizhou City. What I saw there greatly surprised me.
The reason was simple: the streets of Guizhou City were deserted. Apart from a few people walking around, almost all the shops were closed, looking incredibly desolate.
But now… it was only dusk, not yet dinnertime! Shouldn't everyone be bustling about shopping and heading home?
In a flash, I realized it was all the war's fault. Although Guizhou City was far from Xiliang City and Xishuo County, the panic was unfounded. Not only were no merchants daring to come and buy goods, but even the artisans and residents might be considering fleeing inland to escape the war.
"Young Master, shall we stay at an inn or the government office?"
Little Turtle asked.
"Let's go to the county government office,"
I said after thinking for a moment. It seemed the situation was much more serious than I had imagined, and it was time to find out more.
The carriage quickly arrived at the county government office in the center of the county town. It wasn't closed, and four constables were standing in front of it. There were many people going in and out of the county government office, all looking somewhat fearful and uneasy.
"Stop!"
A yamen runner's face changed as he saw our carriage speeding towards the county government office. "Have you no manners? Stand aside."
"Insolence!"
Little Bird pulled out his waist token. "Lead the way for us, go in through the side gate, and give this token to your magistrate. Tell him to come see me immediately."
The yamen runner took the token Little Bird threw at him. He saw a two-clawed golden dragon on it. Although he was illiterate, he knew that this must be a big shot... Don't underestimate him just because he was a lowly yamen runner. Even this person with the golden token was just driving the carriage, so the person sitting inside must be even more important.
"Please, this way please."
The constable quickly called a colleague and instructed him to lead the carriage to the side gate, while he himself, carrying the gold token, rushed inside.
For the passersby, this was merely a minor incident, none of their concern, and their worries were quickly forgotten.
"This humble servant, Du Liangcai, Magistrate of Guizhou County, greets Your Excellency!"
Soon, a lean, middle-aged man appeared beside the carriage. His attitude was extremely respectful, and he possessed the air of a scholar, appearing more dignified than the corpulent officials.
Du Liangcai, however, was not so calm. A county magistrate was merely a seventh-rank official, at most a sixth-rank official, far below the fifth-rank officials. Moreover, this was the commander of the palace guards, someone not to be offended.
An official of his rank would naturally not receive urgent reports from the court, nor would he receive documents sent by carrier pigeon; naturally, he would not know the purpose of our visit. He simply felt that the county town under his jurisdiction was so desolate and deserted, which must have left a bad impression on the important figure who had secretly come to visit, and that he was here to cause trouble.
When Xiao Pan gave him the gold token, he also explained the situation; the person who presented the token was merely a servant driving a carriage. Du Liangcai couldn't even imagine who was sitting inside… Could it be some prince?
"Hehe, Magistrate Du, please don't stand on ceremony."
Xiao Gui stepped forward and helped him up. "My young master has something to discuss with you. Please come with me."
"Yes, please lead the way, Commander."
Du Liangcai cautiously followed behind Xiao Gui, bypassing the carriage and heading towards the grove of trees.
Believe it or not, the county government offices were quite large, usually featuring groves, artificial hills, and even ponds—all symbols of elegance. Many county magistrates liked to have these things; after all, it didn't cost them anything, so why not?
Before the grove of trees stood a plainly dressed young man with his back to Du Liangcai. To his left and right stood two girls, almost identical in build and clothing, who immediately caught Du Liangcai's eye. The katana behind the Jinggong sisters also revealed their foreign origins to him.
"This humble official, Du Liangcai, greets Your Excellency,"
Du Liangcai quickly turned his gaze back and bowed respectfully once more.
"Lord Du, is it?"
I turned around and said calmly, "I've come here because this county town of Guizhou doesn't seem as good as the legends say." " This gentleman? " Du Liangcai's mind raced. A duke was a first-rank official, usually held by high-ranking officials or nobles. For such a young man to refer to himself as "this gentleman"—who was he
? "Reporting to Your Excellency, the rumors of war are quite serious lately. I don't have much power, I can only advise them not to go far. Almost all the artisans in this city have gone into the mountains. Once the war subsides, they can return within three days." Du Liangcai didn't shirk responsibility in his words, and even explained his solution. It gave the impression that he had done his best to minimize the impact of the war. If these artisans were allowed to flee inland, the leather industry in Guizhou would undoubtedly be destroyed. Merchants are profit-driven, while artisans value stability. It's conceivable that they stayed at this time, which shows Du Liangcai's ability. "That's very good. I was a bit too hasty in asking questions." I nodded. Du Liangcai was surprised. He had never seen a Your Excellency correct himself so quickly after making a mistake. Wasn't he too approachable? For a moment, Du Liangcai began to doubt my identity. But he immediately shook his head, denying it. Leaving aside the fact that the imperial gold medal was genuine, the young lord's demeanor alone was unmatched. Even the young masters of the Northwest Wang family, whom he had met a few times, paled in comparison to the lord. "Come, sit down and talk. I've just arrived in the Northwest and there are many things I don't understand. I need to consult Magistrate Du." I smiled, took the small wooden stool that Little Turtle and Little Bird had brought, and gave him one. Du Liangcai readily agreed, sitting on the stool: "Your Excellency, please ask away. I will answer everything I know." "Very good. Now, tell me why the Wang family took over the duties of the county government and the garrison, setting up checkpoints to check passersby? Why did they do this? Who gave them the authority?" Even though Du Liangcai was prepared to be questioned, he hadn't expected my first question to be so blunt. He fell silent. Little Turtle and Little Bird, seeing his silence, were about to urge him to speak, but I stopped them with a raised hand. Half an incense stick's time passed, and Du Liangcai sighed, "Actually, it's not just here. The Wang family has set up checkpoints on all the roads leading to our three northwestern prefectures. I heard they're looking for a noble person..." Suddenly, a look of realization flashed in Du Liangcai's eyes. Could this Duke in front of me be the person the Wang family is looking for? "A noble person?" I was stunned, thinking, "Could I have guessed wrong? The Wang family isn't part of Empress Ren's faction, but rather belongs to the Prince of Tang, the Prince of Zhennan, or even the Prince of Chu. They want to intercept me and prevent me from going to Xiliang City?" “Yes, a distinguished person.” Du Liangcai’s tone quickened considerably. “But please don’t misunderstand, the Wang family has no ill intentions. When I spoke with one of their stewards, he said that the Wang family patriarch, Wang Guowei, only instructed that the distinguished person be brought back to Wangjiabao immediately after being found, and he didn’t intend to make things difficult for them.” “Let’s leave that aside for now.” I didn’t show any expression, but simply changed the subject. “You haven’t answered another question yet.” Du Liangcai smiled helplessly, thinking that this guy was really not easy to fool: “It’s wartime now. Our prefect here has given the Wang family a title of assisting in the defense, so they can check those who might pose a threat… However, the Wang family has always had a good reputation in the Northwest, and there haven’t been any incidents of them oppressing civilians. It’s just that the setting up of checkpoints this time is a bit puzzling.” “Why do I get the feeling that you’re protecting the Wang family? Are you very familiar with them?” I asked directly. "Yes," Du Liangcai replied frankly. "My wife is a daughter from a collateral branch of the Wang family, so we have some connection." "How many people are like you, married to daughters of the Wang family, or whose daughters married into the Wang family's young masters?" "About half," Du Liangcai smiled. "My lord, it's nothing. General Wei Guo knows about this, as do the princes and ministers in the capital. The Wang family is hailed as one of the three great families of the continent; their deep roots are inevitable." "You won't tell me you were forced to marry a daughter of the Wang family, will you?" "No, no," Du Liangcai said with a hint of pride. "My lord, you don't know, marrying a daughter of the Wang family, even from a collateral branch, is already an honor. Daughters raised by the Wang family are proficient in poetry, music, calligraphy, and painting; they are also beautiful, gentle, and virtuous—truly the ideal wife for any man." "Heh, you certainly know how to talk," I laughed. At this moment, the Jing sisters, finding the conversation amusing, turned around and faced Du Liangcai. The county magistrate was immediately captivated upon seeing them. For a county magistrate in his forties, beauty was naturally a favorite, and he was naturally amazed by the stunning twin sisters.

Finally managing to turn his gaze, Du Liangcai no longer doubted my identity—who else, besides the young nobles of the capital, would be qualified to possess such exquisite Japanese twin beauties?
The Wang family's influence in the Northwest is truly deep-rooted; at least half of the county magistrates and prefects are related to them directly or indirectly by marriage, not to mention their dominance in the Northwest martial arts world, and countless shops and industries. Hmph, they say I'm the King of the Northwest, but that title is only temporary; the Wang family, the true underground king of the Northwest, will be long-lasting! Are
all thousand-year-old families this powerful? Since they are so capable, I'll inevitably have to enlist their help in this major military affair in the Northwest. You know, as the imperial envoy, I'm currently desperately seeking more troops!
Seeing that I didn't speak, and my face remained calm as if I wasn't thinking about anything, Du Liangcai secretly admired my composure and cultivation. Of course, he didn't dare to interrupt or say anything more. In any case, he had already expressed what he wanted to say; what this nobleman planned to do was his own business.
To be honest, if this Duke wanted to oppose the Wang family, he was truly too young and impetuous. The Wang family's power was something a single Duke couldn't possibly shake.
We remained silent, and the atmosphere suddenly became heavy. I had no time to consider Du Liangcai's thoughts; my mind gradually shifted to how to use the Wang family.
Regardless of whose faction they belonged to, even if it was the Prince of Zhennan, I would force them to contribute men and resources. At this critical juncture for the Northwest, if they dared to be disobedient, they shouldn't blame me for showing no mercy—there were still 200,000 troops in the three prefectures, albeit a ragtag army, but threatening or eliminating a martial arts family wouldn't be difficult.
I hoped the Wang family wouldn't push me to that point!

Chapter Nine: First Encounter.
Footsteps sounded.
I looked up in that direction. It wasn't that I was being overly cautious, but I was somewhat surprised to see that there was more than one person approaching, and all of them possessed considerable skill.
In the distance, a group of people, both men and women, approached briskly. They were dressed in the same clothes as those who had set up the checkpoints. The leader, a man in his forties, was imposing and had piercing eyes.
From the moment he entered the grove, his eyes fell on me, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
As they drew closer, Du Liangcai heard the commotion. He first looked at us, noticing the little turtle and bird lazily leaning against a large tree, and the two beautiful He ethnic girls showing no sign of alert. Only then did he slowly stand up.
"Master Wang, what brings you here?"
Du Liangcai greeted me politely and loudly, also indicating their identities and reminding me not to be late if I wanted to prepare.
I smiled faintly, not rising from the small wooden stool.
Master Wang, no longer bothering with formalities with Du Liangcai, stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Your Highness, we've been looking for you!"
Your Highness?
Du Liangcai wondered if he had misheard. This man, who called himself "this humble one," was hardly a prince.
Could he be one of the heirs of the Tang King or the Zhennan King?
"Your so-called 'easy to find' just means setting up checkpoints everywhere to intercept me?"
I said with a smile. "Such enthusiasm is truly unbearable for me."
Cold sweat instantly streamed down the head of the Wang family. The powerful aura of this Lord Lanting was comparable to that of the family head.
"Your Highness, you misunderstand,"
the head of the Wang family said through gritted teeth. "We have our reasons for doing this. It's not to intercept you, but because we fear that you might encounter unexpected dangers if you rush to Xiliang City."
"Dangers? Ever since I accepted this mission, there have been dangers."
"No, Your Highness, things are more complicated than you imagine. Our Wang Family Fortress is only a hundred kilometers away. Our family head has been waiting for your arrival. Please set off with us quickly."
I smiled again upon hearing this, but remained silent.
"How dare you!"
At this moment, the loyal little turtle stepped forward and shouted angrily, "My young master is the dignified Lord Lanting, here by imperial decree. How dare he deign to see a mere lord of a Jianghu family? Go and summon him to pay his respects to my young master!"
"Boom..."
Du Liangcai's blood boiled. No wonder he was called Your Highness; wasn't this Ren Lanting, the recently rising star and nephew of Empress Ren? Not only did Empress Ren favor him, but even the Emperor bestowed upon him the Heavenly Dragon Gold Medal, granting him the power to execute first and report later—a rising star of the court!
"This humble servant was unaware of Lord Lanting's arrival and has been rude. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
Du Liangcai quickly performed a formal official salute, his demeanor even more respectful than before.
"No need for formalities. You did very well. I will remember this."
I waved my hand in response, without even glancing at Chief Wang. I must suppress the arrogance of these Jianghu barbarians. They actually dared to expect my young master to pay his respects to them? Don't they even look in the mirror? Do they deserve it?
Chief Wang's face flushed and paled in turns. He wasn't just any ordinary member of the Wang family's collateral branch; he was one of the five chief officials of the direct line. He wouldn't have left Wangjiabao for this remote place if the Wang family head hadn't ordered it.
Frankly, he was quite confident about inviting me to Wangjiabao. The Wang family was
a thousand-year-old clan!
Its history even surpassed that of the Liufeng Kingdom. Officials who came here were accustomed to revering and respecting the Wang family. Even a few years ago, the Crown Prince of Chu, Chen Fuyue, personally visited Wangjiabao to pay his respects to the Wang family head, thus gaining the family's support and gradually beginning to realize his ambitions in the Northwest.
Chief Wang vaguely knew why I had come. In his view, even in times of peace, Chen Fuyue respected the Wang family, let alone in this urgent situation. But he hadn't expected me to be so disrespectful—no, not at all.
Being a member of the ancient Wang family, Chief Wang quickly recovered, suppressing his dissatisfaction and smiling broadly, saying, "Your Highness, the situation in the Northwest is not good right now. Our patriarch needs to coordinate and stabilize the situation in Wangjiabao. It's not that he doesn't want to come, but that he can't."
Little Bird said with a forced smile, "Very good, very good. Wang Guowei is very diligent. The governors of the three prefectures all requested his help to stabilize the situation. I think he's more than just the patriarch of the Wang family; 'King of the Northwest' would be more appropriate. After returning to the capital, I'll tell my friends in the palace about his prestige." "
You…"
Chief Wang was so frightened that cold sweat soaked his vest. If he hadn't learned from the informant that Little Turtle and Little Bird were the deputy commanders of the Imperial Guards, he would have slapped them already.
King of the Northwest? Can this title be used so casually? Even if the Wang family is recognized as the most powerful force in the Northwest, saying it publicly is extremely inappropriate.
"Hehe, this Commander is quite the joker, but our patriarch is unworthy of such praise. Please spare us."
Knowing he couldn't persuade anyone on his own, Steward Wang decisively said, "Please wait a moment, Your Highness, I will immediately inform the patriarch of the situation here."
With that, he bowed again and quickly left with his group.
Du Liangcai shook his head. How long had it been since the Wang family had suffered such a loss? Not to mention Steward Wang, even his group—who among them didn't look up at the sky when they spoke? Now, facing the even more powerful Lord Lanting, who dared to put on airs? Even Steward Wang could only smile obsequiously and slink away; the rest of the Wang family members behind him were even more pathetic.
Du Liangcai, who had recently suffered some injustice, felt a surge of satisfaction. Although he was considered half a member of the Wang family, these direct descendants from Wangjiabao spoke to him in a condescending tone, making this court official quite uncomfortable. However, despite his satisfaction, Du Liangcai felt it necessary to remind the outspoken Lord Lanting.
"Your Highness,"
Du Liangcai carefully chose his words, "The Wang family... the Wang family isn't lying. Right now, the Wang family is more effective than the government, and their efforts are evident to everyone... If you're planning to do something in the Northwest, it's best not to offend the Wang family."
I was slightly taken aback. Du Liangcai's open and honest words seemed out of place for a son-in-law of the Wang family.
"Hehe, I married the Wang family's daughter largely because I love her, but I've never forgotten that I'm still an official of Liufeng Kingdom,"
Du Liangcai said with a smile. At that moment, he possessed something I knew—a kind of integrity unique to certain scholars.
One reason is that we can't offend the Wang family, but I won't let them dominate the situation just because I don't want to offend them. That way, even if we eliminate the threat from the grassland barbarians, the Wang family will only gain more power and become even more uncontrollable.
"Let them know that no matter how big the world is, the emperor is the greatest!"
Yunfu's words, relaying Kangzong's words, still echoed in my ears. They probably weren't just referring to those officials who sided with the King of Chu.
"Oh, right, Lord Du,"
I suddenly remembered something and asked, "Have you received any documents to prepare for retreat these past few days?"
"No, not at all,"
Du Liangcai replied. "I've heard from passersby that General Wei is fighting hard at the front, but he has ultimately held off the grassland barbarians. The damage to the three prefectures isn't too great. Now we just need to wait for reinforcements."
The reinforcements have actually arrived—these five people right in front of you… I thought to myself.
But these words couldn't be uttered, otherwise those still clinging to hope would immediately collapse, and the entire Northwest would descend into chaos even without the grassland tribes' burning, killing, and looting. A massive exodus would inevitably inflict immense damage on the three northwestern prefectures.
"The Emperor is working hard to gather elite troops. Until then, all we can do is hold on,"
I said confidently. "How could mere barbarians possibly defeat the soldiers and people of my Liufeng Kingdom?"
Du Liangcai noticed
the word "we..." He hadn't thought as much as I had. He considered it from another perspective: since the Emperor had even sent the Empress's nephew, he certainly wouldn't abandon the people of the Northwest. This was something to be happy about!
One hundred kilometers away, Wangjiabao.
Dozens of middle-aged and elderly men with bulging temples sat in the courtyard, scattered under large trees and in pavilions, not resting, but busily handling their official duties. Intelligence was constantly being sent in and distributed to each person according to their responsibilities.
Then they would attach their written opinions to the intelligence report and hand it to the middle-aged man under the central willow tree. This man would then make the final decision, and the men and women in martial attire serving nearby would relay it out for execution.
The one with the final say naturally belonged to the supreme authority of the Wang family—Wang Guowei. He was not only handsome and dashing, a perfect example of a middle-aged heartthrob, but also possessed a pair of broad yet dignified eyes, proving that his ability to uphold the Wang family's prestige was not solely due to his ancestors' influence.
Suddenly, a young man in white robes burst in from outside like lightning. The experts standing around instinctively tensed their energy, but when they saw who it was, their murderous intent vanished instantly, and they returned to their relaxed demeanor.
The young man in white robes didn't go to any of the leaders, but instead ran directly to Wang Guowei under the central willow tree.
"What's the panic? Didn't I tell you to have the composure to remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses before you? How could you forget in just a few days?"
Wang Guowei didn't even look up, scolding the young man in white robes while casually handing the processed intelligence to his subordinates. "Quickly give this to General Long and tell him that General Wei Guo's side is struggling. Tell them to go up there quickly. They don't need to fight head-on, but they must hold off at least 30,000 troops... The three northwestern prefectures have supported them for so many years; it's time for them to serve."
"Yes!"
The man in the tight-fitting clothes respectfully put the intelligence into his robes and rushed off with several subordinates.
The young man in white robes was momentarily stunned by the scolding. Only after the man left did he come to his senses: "Father, no... a big problem has arisen. The Third Master has found Lord Lanting, but..."
"But he refuses to come and wants me to see him, right?"
Wang Guowei continued.
"Uh... how did you know?"
the young man in white robes asked, bewildered.
"Seeing how agitated you are, how could I not guess?"
Wang Guowei raised his head, his eyes sweeping over him indifferently. "Aming is your man; you should be the first to know any news about him. And this time, he should be the easiest person to find Lord Lanting."
The young man in white robes smiled awkwardly: "Father, please stop talking about this. What should we do?"
"What do you think?"
"Why should we go see him? Just because he's Empress Ren's nephew? Just because he's the Imperial Envoy appointed by the Emperor to oversee the military and political affairs of the three prefectures? We're just ordinary people; we don't need to worry about matters of state!" The young man in white robes became more and more agitated as he spoke
. “We’re already helping voluntarily. The Wang family members are busy all over the place, contributing money and effort. Hundreds of elite soldiers have even died for their country in Xiliang City. Such a great contribution is being made difficult by a young brat putting on airs. So, Father, you shouldn’t go. Without the help of our Wang family, let’s see how he gets through this crisis.”
Wang Guowei sighed inwardly as he looked at his son’s angry and indignant expression. This youngest son was still too young and not as mature as his eldest son.
“What? Am I wrong?”
The young man in white robes saw Wang Guowei’s expressionless face and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly stopped complaining.
This young man was named Wang Tengfei. He was twenty years old and the youngest of Wang Guowei’s two sons and three daughters. Like the other Wang family members, Wang Tengfei had been helping with family affairs since he was fifteen. For the past few months, he had been in charge of intelligence gathering in the three northwestern prefectures. He had just been outside supervising the intelligence agents as they removed the intelligence from the legs of hundreds of carrier pigeons and replaced it with the information.
“Tengfei, as a member of the Wang family, you must understand one thing.”
Wang Guowei stood up and patted his son’s shoulder. “Without the Northwest, our Wang family is nothing. As people of the Northwest, our Wang family has a responsibility to protect the people of the Northwest, not for anyone else, and certainly not to do anything that would please our enemies and hurt our own people because of Lord Lanting’s attitude.”
“Then… Father, you must go see AC in person,” Wang Tengfei said softly.
“Go, why wouldn’t I go?”
Wang Guowei laughed. “This Lord Lanting is no simple man. He just caused a huge uproar in Yizhou County. I want to see what kind of young hero he is!”

Chapter Ten: Gambling Under the Tree
“Young Master, why should we make things difficult for the Wang family?”
Sitting under the shade of a tree, Little Turtle asked while gnawing on a braised pig’s trotter.
It was already close to evening. I had sent Du Liang away to handle his official business. This county magistrate was quite tactful; he had already ordered someone to prepare a banquet at the best restaurant in Guizhou County and send it over.
July in the Northwest wasn't as hot as in Yizhou Prefecture, but the air was still somewhat stuffy. So, the little turtle and bird simply set up a table under the trees, lit a few lamps nearby, and began to feast.
Summer brought many mosquitoes, and those in the Northwest, having learned how to deal with these creatures while making leather goods, used a herb called "Moon Grass" in incense burners. The faint fragrance would drive away the surrounding mosquitoes.
"Moon Grass" was also sold inland, but it wasn't cheap, and only wealthy landowners could afford it. However, in the Northwest, it was said that anyone not too poor could burn it for several hours at night to repel mosquitoes.
This was similar to the "Dove Fish" of Wushuang County. In Wushuang County, ordinary people could eat one or two "Dove Fish" a month, but outside of Wushuang County, only the wealthy could afford it, and even then, it wasn't something they ate every day.
This is due to geographical distance. Specialties from all directions have their limitations, and merchants exist to transport these goods from their place of origin to where they are needed, thus making a profit. As
my thoughts shifted, I placed a piece of vegetarian food on the Jinggong sisters' plate before saying, "It's not that I want to make things difficult for them, but I can't show weakness."
The Jinggong sisters don't usually like to eat meat, and they don't eat many vegetables either. I don't know how they've developed so well. Lately, thanks to my care, while they aren't exactly voluptuous, they're definitely more developed than most girls their age, and they give me a lot of pleasure in bed, making me very comfortable.
Now, they're eating their snacks very politely, but their attention is mostly on me. If they see something I like, they'll put more on my plate, sometimes forgetting they're even eating.
"Not weak?"
Little Bird asked, his mouth still greasy from finishing a plate of roasted lamb. "Young Master, aren't we here because we need the Wang family's help? Since we're asking for their help, if we're friendly, they'll be more willing to help." "
Asking for help comes in two forms. One is when there's absolutely no other way and you need someone stronger or more capable to lend a hand—that's called unconditional help. The second is when both sides have a common goal and shared interests, and one side has to cooperate with the other to solve the problem,"
I said seriously. "This major military event in the Northwest isn't just my task; it's also a task for all the people of the Northwest to save themselves. Even if we didn't come, the Wang family would still have to help, so there's no logic in them only acting when I ask for their help." "That sounds complicated,"
Little Turtle and Little Bird scratched their heads. "Young Master, are you trying to get the Wang family to act according to your instructions, not to cooperate?"
"Yes, cooperation is completely unnecessary for the Northwest right now,"
I said magnanimously. "The Northwest right now only needs one voice, to unite as one fist to strike the enemy." "
Jing Gongmei and Jing Gongcai love watching me display my heroic spirit the most. Hearing this, the two beauties' eyes lit up with stars, revealing undisguised admiration.
Little Turtle and Little Bird originally wanted to flatter them too, but seeing the two young ladies' performance, they immediately backed down: 'No matter how hard we try, we can't compare to the young ladies. This kind of flattery is truly natural and masterful.'" — The two unruly servants didn't believe that the princesses of the He tribe were sincere, and preferred to believe that they were wholeheartedly trying to please their men.
"Then, young master, when do you think they can come? It's a hundred kilometers away!"
Little Turtle's eyes darted around, "How about we start a betting game? I'll be the banker, and you guys place your bets?" "Okay, state the odds."
I said without hesitation.
"One hour to two, one and a half hours to three, two hours to five, three hours later to ten, and if they don't come today, it's twenty." "
Little Turtle thought for a moment and then offered these odds.
It must be said, Little Turtle has a good head for business; the odds he offered were fair. No wonder he played with me in my father's casino for so many years when we were kids.
Little Bird, without a word, took out ten gold coins from his purse and said, 'I bet they'll arrive in two hours.'
'Alright, the more you bet, the more you win.'
Little Turtle skillfully accepted the gold coins and looked at us. 'Young Master, Young Madam, which bet are you placing?'
I thought for a moment and took out a piece of Hetian jade: 'This jade is worth twenty gold coins. I bet they'll arrive within half an hour.'
Seeing that I had placed a bet, the Hetian beauties each took out a pearl from their sachets: 'We'll bet the same as our brother.'
Seeing this, Little Turtle quickly thought for a moment: 'Ahem, you all need to be careful. The hour I mentioned refers to the time from when the Wang family left. It's been almost half an hour now.'
Jing Gongcai was furious upon hearing this and instinctively 'Clang!' " With a "whoosh ,"
she drew her gleaming katana and swiftly brought it to Little Turtle's neck.
Too close, and caught off guard by the young mistress's violence, Little Turtle couldn't dodge in time and turned pale with fright: "Young mistress, what are you doing? You can't joke like that!"
"You're cheating!"
Jing Gongcai sneered. "Once you've placed a bet, you have to abide by the rules. How can you add conditions after we've placed our bets?"
The young woman spoke with a straight face, and the katana in her hand was incredibly powerful, seemingly ready to kill Little Turtle on the spot. However, there was no real strength in her katana; it was clearly just a bluff.
But Little Turtle and Little Bird had already heard from the three Lu family kings that these two young ladies were ruthless and merciless when they killed, so this treatment of Little Turtle was already quite lenient.
"Nonsense! Put the knife down..."
I slapped the girl's buttocks, making a crisp sound. "Is this how you treat your own people?"
"But Little Turtle has no gambling ethics. He'll get his hand cut off at the casino."
Jing Gong Cai sheathed her katana with a wronged expression and said softly.
Little Turtle felt a chill run down his spine and quickly hid his hand behind his back.
"If we're family, it's normal to bicker sometimes. Little Turtle is just not treating us like outsiders. He's cheating."
I smiled and hugged her in my arms. "Sweetie, you don't want everyone to be so respectful to me, and then I won't have any friends, right?"
"Hmm... I understand."
The stunningly beautiful girl nodded vigorously, and with a flick of her wrist, a plate of cherry meat, which Little Turtle liked, flew in front of him.
Little Turtle was stunned for a moment, then realized that the young mistress was too shy to apologize directly and was using this as a substitute.
But Jing Gong Cai was just worrying for nothing. Little Turtle, Little Bird, and I grew up together. How could this create any distance between us? These two guys are used to being bullied by the "beautiful girl sex slave group" at home, so this is... no big deal.
Little Turtle didn't say anything, quickly shoveling the cherry meat into his mouth, then wiping his mouth, he said, "Young Master, how about it? Do you dare to place a bet?"
I was almost driven mad by this kid. He was threatened with a knife for a while and still didn't back down. Did he think my and my wives' money was so easy to swindle?
This time, Kyouko learned her lesson and just fed me without saying a word.
The little princess never cared about money. Even the impoverished Yamato royal family possessed their own treasures. According to the two beauties, Kyouko Hideyoshi alone told them that three of them belonged to them, enough to make them the richest people in the world.
I considered it for a moment. A hundred kilometers is a journey that would take at least two hours by carriage. Even if Wang Guowei rode his steed at full speed, it would only take him an hour at the earliest. Now, Xiao Gui had halved the time in one go; it was indeed a bit too easy to cheat.
"If you increase the odds to ten times, I'll agree,"
I said after a moment.
"Deal!"
Xiao Gui clapped his hands, grinning. "My little sister has long wanted pearls for her brother's medicine. This time, time was short, and I didn't have time to find them. Luckily, the pearls from the two young mistresses are of the finest quality; I think the effect will be excellent." "
Little sister" was Xiao Gui's wife, named Li Xiuxiu, nicknamed Xiao Mei. Her brother was the scholar Li Xiucai who had gone mad
from studying. After Li Xiucai's madness, the Li family had been struggling, but since Li Xiuxiu married Xiao Gui, they had received the best care.
Father assigned them a restaurant to manage. Uncle Li and Aunt Li were in charge of the daily operations, and the profits were split 50/50. They earned over a thousand gold coins a month – such a good deal was hard to find even with a lantern. The Li family was extremely grateful, but to Father, it was nothing. The Liu family was now wealthy and powerful; what did a little profit matter if it went to the servants?
The Li family became quite well-off in Wushuang County. Furthermore, one of the future stewards of the Liu household would be their son-in-law, and even the usually ridiculed scholar Li was now being courted by matchmakers. Their
eccentric son finding a wife was naturally the happiest thing for the Li family. However, Uncle Li wasn't naive. He knew that if they married and had children this way, the children would likely have some health problems, which wouldn't be good for the Li family's lineage.
Therefore, Uncle Li searched everywhere for various elixirs and medicines, wanting to cure Li the scholar first before letting him marry and have children.
The pearl-infused medicine that Xiao Gui mentioned came from a prescription in the capital. Besides many precious medicinal herbs, it required top-quality pearls ground into powder to be taken with the medicine for optimal effect.
Since Shan Ziyang had just received it, Xiao Gui hadn't had a chance to ask me for the pearls before coming to the Northwest with me. No wonder his eyes lit up when he saw the Jing Gong sisters' pearls, and he was so eager to get them. The
Jing Gong sisters came from the overseas island of Fusang in Japan, surrounded by the sea, where opportunities to obtain sea pearls were plentiful. Therefore, the pearls they possessed were naturally the best. From this perspective, Xiao Gui's eye for pearls was truly discerning.
After whispering the reason for the pearl-infused medicine to Jing Gong Mei and Jing Gong Cai, the two girls finally understood why Xiao Gui was being so shameless. Jing Gong Cai even felt a little guilty.
"Alright, don't look like that. Just give your little sister a few more when you get back,"
I whispered in the little beauty's ear.
"Hmm..."
Jing Gongcai smiled sweetly, "I have plenty of pearls. The maids who came with me as dowry have plenty. I'll let her take as many as she wants."

Chapter Eleven: A Glimmer of Hope
"Your Highness, the head of the Wang family, Wang Guowei, is waiting for you outside..."
Just as the food was cleared away, Du Liangcai, who was supposed to be handling affairs in the county office, rushed over to report the news.
Du Liangcai was just a minor county magistrate, and he didn't have many opportunities to see Wang Guowei. From his excited expression, it was clear that seeing Wang Guowei even once was an honor, even though he had just complained about the arrogance of the Wang family. This also showed Wang Guowei's prestige in the Northwest.
My dear father-in-law, you've given me a difficult task!
Just as he was pondering, Little Turtle let out a scream comparable to a woman's: "Impossible! Why is he here so early? That can't be right. We didn't encounter any bandits or robbers on the way. The horse didn't even have diarrhea?"
Du Liangcai's eyes almost popped out of their sockets... The head of one of the three heroes of the continent couldn't be this unpopular, could he?
"Brother, please accept my condolences."
The little bird felt sorry for the little turtle and patted him on the shoulder. "Winning and losing are common things. At least you beat me."
The little turtle looked dejected, thinking, "What does it matter if I beat you? The young master and young mistress are paying out ten times the stake! That's the real prize!
" Ignoring the gambler's sad look, I stood up. "Come on, Magistrate, let's welcome the righteous man Wang together."
"Oh, Your Highness, please!"
Du Liangcai put his doubts about the little turtle aside and led me outside.
Du Liangcai vaguely guessed my purpose in coming to the Northwest. In any case, it was a blessing for the Northwest that I could coexist peacefully with the Wang family. Otherwise, either side had the ability to cause chaos, and in the end, it was only the people of the Northwest who would suffer.
Five people entered outside the county government office. The one in the middle was a middle-aged man with a heroic air. Two young men stood on either side of him. The young men were all handsome, but the two on the right were obviously more delicate and frail.
Outside the county government office, dozens of fine horses were clearly visible, with members of the Wang family tending them. Seeing the discrepancy between the number of people and horses, I immediately understood why they had arrived so quickly… Wang Guowei and his group had used two horses per person to save time as much as possible.
Seeing me behind Du Liangcai, Wang Guowei quickly stepped forward, bowing deeply respectfully: “This humble subject, Wang Guowei, greets Your Highness Lanting.”
“No need for such formalities, Mr. Wang.”
Before he could finish his bow, I helped him to his feet. “Back in the capital, Lanting had heard of Mr. Wang’s great reputation. Now that Lanting has come to the Northwest, I hope Mr. Wang will take good care of me.”
Wang Guowei raised his head, smiling, and said he dared not, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
In contrast, the four young men behind him were far less impressive; they were all taken aback by the sight of the He ethnic princesses behind me.
"It's good that you've arrived, Mr. Wang. Please come inside. I have many questions, and I hope you can help me resolve them."
I led Wang Guowei inside, and after a few steps we saw a pavilion. I didn't stand on ceremony and invited him to sit down inside.
The Jinggong sisters naturally stood behind me, as did the four young men Wang Guowei had brought. But Du Liangcai didn't have that privilege; he obediently stayed outside the pavilion, waiting for my instructions.
"Lanting won't stay in Guizhou County for long, so let's not get too carried away,"
I said, getting straight to the point. "Sir Wang, may I ask what the situation is like in Xiliang City, and what the overall situation is in the three prefectures?"
"Your Highness may address me by my name,"
Wang Guowei smiled. "Forgive my impertinence, but may I ask what brings Your
Highness to the Northwest?" He paused, seemingly realizing his abruptness, and then added, "Two days ago, I received a letter from Empress Ren, instructing me to fully cooperate with Your Highness, but she didn't explain the matter. Therefore, I would appreciate it if Your Highness could explain so that I can be prepared."
"Mei, please bring out the imperial edict for Uncle Wang to see,"
I said, subtly changing my form of address.
Jing Gongmei took out a golden scroll from the cloth bag behind her and held it out to the still-unresponsive Wang Guowei with one hand.
If one were to seriously consider the matter, the young woman holding the imperial edict with one hand would be a grave offense of disrespect. However, Du Liangcai merely moved his mouth slightly and held back. The woman opposite him was the favorite concubine of the Duke of Lanting, and the Emperor and the Duke of Lanting were family. He didn't need to make a fuss and could simply pretend he hadn't seen anything.
Wang Guowei, upon seeing the golden dragon coiled on the imperial edict, suddenly realized what was happening. He quickly rose from his seat and knelt down, saying, "This humble subject, Wang Guowei, respectfully welcomes the imperial edict."
The four youths behind him naturally followed suit, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.
As the patriarch of one of the three great heroes of the continent, Wang Guowei shouldn't have been so stunned, but my tone and Jing Gongmei's actions were far too casual. The imperial edict was so readily presented that he couldn't help but lose his composure.
You see, although Wang Guowei had never received an imperial edict before, he had heard that its presentation was always very solemn and grand, certainly not as casual as a meal… Thinking about it, he was right about that. A few days ago, the bag containing the edict also contained snacks for the little beauties—quite a lot—in the eyes of the Jing Gong sisters, the imperial edict was equivalent to food.
With Wang Guowei kneeling, Du Liangcai outside the pavilion also knelt down. After all, with an imperial edict, everyone present should kneel; that was proper etiquette.
I didn't stop Wang Guowei. Only after he respectfully unfolded the imperial edict and carefully read it several times did I help him up again.
"You may all rise as well,"
I waved to Du Liangcai and the four youths Wang Guowei had brought.
Du Liangcai was unfazed. The four youths were inherently arrogant, but the immediate bowing and kneeling made them appear less defiant. When they looked at me, the subtle resistance they had shown earlier was gone.
Wang Guowei remained calm as before. He returned the imperial edict to me: "Your Highness, since you have come to save the Northwest, I will speak frankly. The Northwest is in dire straits!"
"Please elaborate,"
I said calmly.
At this moment, composure was key. Wang Guowei could remain calm, and so could I, Liu Ri. My master had said in the scriptures that only those who calmly face reality can find a way out of countless crises.
"General Wei, also known as General Chen Fuyue, the Crown Prince of Chu, has completely stabilized the situation in Xiliang City these past few days. The grassland allied forces, having suffered over half their casualties, have retreated more than twenty kilometers away, but instead of returning to the grasslands, they continue to send large numbers of cavalry to towns near Xiliang City, wantonly looting and plundering. To date, they have killed 50,000 residents, abducted more than 8,000 women and children, and seized countless amounts of gold, silver, and grain. General Chen, due to insufficient troops, dares not launch a rash attack and can only hold his ground."
"Which tribes came from the grasslands? What is their total strength? How many more can they send? Are there any signs of reinforcements?"
My questions were indeed difficult, causing Wang Guowei to pause. This kind of intelligence should not be something a martial arts practitioner should be able to obtain.
If he revealed it, it would seem somewhat malicious—why would you be involved in the affairs of the Ministry of War and the army? But if he didn't tell me, he would leave me with the impression of being secretive and unreliable, with serious consequences.
“Uncle Wang, don’t hold back. We’re in a desperate situation now, there’s no time for formalities,”
I said calmly. “Besides, my aunt has a history with the Wang family. Even if Lanting is confused, he wouldn’t do anything to alienate his own people.”
Wang Guowei laughed heartily, “It’s not that I’m unwilling to speak, but I’m figuring out how to say it so that His Highness can understand the situation as quickly as possible.”
After my repeated attempts to win him over, Wang Guowei no longer referred to himself as a commoner, and this hearty laugh was a way of masking his earlier hesitation.
"Our area belongs to the southern part of the grasslands. The eastern and northern parts of the grasslands are the core areas of the Huayun Kingdom, where the herders live much better lives. The western part of the grasslands relies on the sacred mountain Langgetuo, where the water and grass are abundant, and life is worry-free. Only the southern part of the grasslands has a harsh climate and a lot of desert, so it is the poorest. This has also made them eager to plunder the wealth and people of our Liufeng Kingdom to make their own lives better.
"Currently, there are six tribes with more than 100,000 people living in the southern part of the grasslands. The other smaller tribes depend on them for their existence. The Dangxiang tribe is the largest of them, with 700,000 people; the second is the Chaqin tribe, with 300,000 people; the third is the Ciyi tribe, with 300,000 people; the fourth is the Baotu tribe with 200,000 people; the fifth is the Taiwu tribe with 200,000 people; and the last and sixth is the Liji tribe with 150,000 people."
"This time, the Tangut tribe mobilized 200,000 troops, the Chaqin and Ciyi tribes each mobilized 80,000, and the Baotu, Tai Niao, and Liji tribes each mobilized 50,000, totaling 510,000. They suffered over 100,000 casualties in the ambush of the 'Silver Tiger Legion,' and then another 200,000 in the siege. Now, only less than 200,000 remain, but they are all elite warriors who have survived countless battles. Furthermore, on the plains, the 'Silver Tiger Legion' has been routed, so there's no one left to surround and kill them.
Fortunately, this attack has gathered the full strength of the six major tribes. For the next three months, they will be unable to send large-scale reinforcements. And after three months, it will be the harsh winter. The winter in the southern desert is like hell, with biting winds and hail; they simply cannot launch an attack."
Wang Guowei spoke so much in one breath that I could barely process it all. After a moment of contemplation, I asked, "You mean, as long as we hold out for three months and stall the grassland coalition, we can achieve victory?"
"No, not victory, but a chance to catch our breath." "
Wang Guowei said, "According to the weather in the Northwest, only April to October is suitable for cavalry warfare. So if we hold out, we'll have half a year to recuperate. This time, the grassland coalition only achieved a Pyrrhic victory. Once they recover, they'll attack even more fiercely, and next year's war will be even more brutal. The future of the Northwest isn't in the present, but in next year."
I understood Wang Guowei's meaning. The grassland coalition, though seemingly ferocious, was actually suffering heavy losses on its own. With Xiliang City holding them off, the grassland coalition couldn't launch another large-scale offensive. All they could do was plunder and loot what they needed, then head home to recuperate and rebuild until next year.
Almost everyone in the grassland tribes was a soldier; even sixty- or seventy-year-old men and middle-aged women could shoot arrows. So replenishing their ranks was easy. With veterans training them for a while, these natural knights could become cavalry... Moreover, at least there would be... The return of 50,000 wounded soldiers is another valuable asset.
The situation in the Northwest is different. The elite "Silver Tiger Legion" has been completely routed. Training the newly recruited troops is a challenge, and whether the transferred elite troops can adapt to the local combat methods is another—we have more problems than the grassland tribes.
They understand this, so next year they will press their advantage and achieve even greater success. As for now, exhausted, they no longer have the ability to penetrate deep into the three northwestern prefectures; retreating while they have the advantage is the best course of action.
Suddenly, I had another feeling that Emperor Kangzong was plotting something. "A master strategist! I previously misunderstood him, thinking he disliked me, his future son-in-law, and was simply following the wishes of the Tang King and the Zhennan King to torment me… Now it seems, did he also anticipate this situation?
In this way, he didn't send me to my death, but rather used this seemingly dangerous but actually opportune moment to seize control of the three northwestern prefectures and bring them back under the emperor's control?"
While I pondered this, Wang Guowei was also lost in thought.
This Lord Lanting is no simple man. I originally thought he was just a hot-blooded young nobleman, but who would have thought he would be so mature for his age, showing no sign of arrogance in his conversation. His temper flared, and every question hit the nail on the head.
Moreover, Wang Guowei noticed that I had never put on airs in front of him, never even addressing him as "this Duke." From the very beginning, I had been cultivating a good relationship between us. Although this small form of address wouldn't significantly alter Wang Guowei's attitude, it was still remarkable that the Empress's nephew, an Imperial Duke, could act like a junior before him—something even the usually gentle Chen Fuyue couldn't do. What
surprised Wang Guowei even more was the extent of the Emperor's favor, or rather, the high expectations he placed on this Duke of Lanting, a favor that would make anyone envious.
The imperial edict stated that the governor-general of the three northwestern prefectures
was to execute first and report later… This was purely a power granted to the Prince of Lanting, the Northwest King, a right never before enjoyed by anyone since the founding of the Liufeng Kingdom. Was the Emperor planning to deal with our Wang family? Or was he preparing to deal with the other princes in the future?
The latter might only be a matter of time, but the former alone made Wang Guowei's heart pound. Being one of the three heroes of the continent was indeed imposing, but compared to the omnipresent imperial power, he was far inferior. Normally, it was fine, but if there were any rebellion, the first to turn against him would likely be the people of the three prefectures who had once followed him.
The Northwest Wang family had long been aware of this threat, and it was precisely because of this that when Wang Guowei's father came to power, he began to fully support Empress Ren, enabling her to rise from a lowly concubine to the throne and give birth to their only princess.
Empress Ren, of course, would not mistreat the Wang family, so for over twenty years, the Wang family faced fewer and fewer constraints in the Northwest, and their development accelerated.
Outsiders assumed it was all thanks to Wang Guowei's strategic planning, but only he and a few elders of the Wang family understood that at least half of it was due to Empress Ren's influence. Otherwise, with the strict control of the government, where would the Wang family, a martial arts clan, have found the space to flourish?
Wang Guowei had long ago decided that his family would obey Empress Ren's orders; only in this way could the family continue to prosper. As for this time, even though he knew I was Empress Ren's nephew, and Empress Ren had personally written a document asking him to take care of me, Wang Guowei still put on airs, wanting to see my reaction… well, that must be said of the meticulous consideration of the head of a super-powerful family.
Obeying Empress Ren's orders and becoming her lackey are two different things. Wang Guowei carried the pride and honor of being one of the Three Heroes of the Continent—no, all members of the Wang family carried their own pride. Although imperial power was supreme, the family's thousand-year glory was already engraved on the shoulders of the Wang family members.
Empress Ren's letter didn't explicitly state it, but Wang Guowei had long suspected that the arrival of the Prince of Lanting was related to the Northwest War. His concern was that if I came, in order to seize merit, I might recklessly mobilize the Wang family's troops, the Northwest's ragtag armies, and fight the grassland allied forces—everyone knows how difficult it is to fight grassland tribes. Using the lives of hundreds of thousands of Wang family members and Northwest people to build up the Prince of Lanting's achievements was something Wang Guowei would never do, even if it killed him.
However, after meeting me, Wang Guowei's doubts had vanished. One look at this young Prince of Lanting, and he knew he wasn't the reckless type. As long as he didn't mobilize a large army to fight the grassland tribes to the death, sacrificing some elite troops for his ambition was worthwhile. Wang
Guowei and I had different considerations, but we had one thing in common: we both considered things extensively. For someone in a high position, the more one calculates, the fewer mistakes one makes—a necessary step to success. As
the old saying goes: "The more you calculate, the more you gain; the less you calculate, the less you gain."
That makes sense, doesn't it?

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